Some say to stop using the word ‘American’. What’s next?

[blackforest]

Are you familiar with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)? They monitor free speech issues on campus with a green-yellow-red light system. Green-light schools honor free speech, and red-light schools are the worst.

I encourage parents and students researching college options to use their database. FIRE's Spotlight Database - FIRE Here’s their list of speaker “dis-invitations:” Disinvitation Database - FIRE

Colorado State is a mixed bag of green and yellow lights: Colorado State University - FIRE

They establish speech codes along with a commitment to free speech, indicating that at least for now, the codes are mere suggestions. It is prohibited to harass or threaten others, as it should be. But the article in the OP itself even admits that the university is saying that there are no repercussions for using the "wrong " words.

So at least for now, I don’t recommend wasting any outrage energy on it unless actual free speech is penalized. There’s no use getting triggered by those who are easily triggered.

 

[blackforest]

It does until they say “out” or “about” and then you can hear the difference.

I hear other subtle differences that are hard to describe. Jordan Peterson sounds like a very pronounced Canadian, for example.

I’ve heard of people from the USA who pretend to be Canadians in order to avoid anti-USA sentiments from those they meet.

Guilty. But I no longer do it. Prejudice against us is just that - pre-judgment. It’s not that they don’t like me personally; they don’t like what I represent to them. These days, unless there’s an overt threat of violence against U.S. citizens, my goal is no longer to hide from who I am.

I figure that I should be as good of an ambassador of my country as I’m supposed to be of my Catholic faith- showing kindness to those I encounter. I attempt the language, (however ridiculous I sound), compliment the area, and ask lots of questions. If they still don’t like me, it’s out of my hands.

 

[ZMystiCat]

Of course since it is the United States , why not the state you live in, such as New Yorker or Californian?

That’s kind of used internally. Normally, though, I’d say I’m “from Florida” not that I’m a “Floridian”, despite the latter being completely valid and understandable. (And even then, I personally consider myself both from Florida and Michigan, due to spending considerable time in both states while growing up.)

With that said, when I was travelling abroad, I would generally say I’m “from the U.S.” rather than “I’m American”.

 

[grotto]

Overt threats of violence or actual attacks require safety - “keeping a low profile” as said. The most repeated means of identifing Americans is the way we carry ourselves walking and that we are openly friendly. Nothing wrong with that!

 

[vsedriver]

Once while travelling in the UK, our hostess in the B&B we were staying in said “you’re Canadian aren’t you?” to my wife (then my girlfriend) and I. We answered “yes” of course, and assumed our accent was the tip-off

when my son went to Italy to study he was mistaken for a native Italian. He was told that American’s have no fashion sense. He was the only one who didn’t wear jeans and a T-shirt to his classes or to restaurants.

 

[vsedriver]

The nation that I live in is named the United States of America. “America” is a nick-name, and an inaccurate one at that.

it’s not really a nick name it is an abbreviation of the official name of the country so how is that inaccurate?

 

[blackforest]

Of course since it is the United States , why not the state you live in, such as New Yorker or Californian?

The trouble is that in many countries, people haven’t heard of anything beyond New York or California. I just catch myself saying “near Seattle” (a few hours’ drive, actually) - then I get a blank look and follow up with, “the Northwestern part of the U.S.”

I never did correct the Mexican woman who introduced me by saying my name and then, “She’s visiting from Montana, California.” That must be a suburb of L.A. that I’ve never heard of . . .

 

[Padres1969]

Just sounds stupid because we don’t use it regularly as people from the US. If we used it regularly it would sound no more stupid than Canadian or Mexican.

 

[Padres1969]

I tend to use it when I’m abroad as well. Saying you’re Californian gets a much better reaction internationally then saying you’re an American.

 

[babochka]

Which is kind of strange, since being from California kind of includes being American in any sense of the word.

 

[Sarcelle]

United Statesian does not really say if a person is from the United States of America or from the United States of Mexico.

 

[blackforest]

Meh. Let’s just come up with our own nicknames. I’m from Yankeeland. Baseballistan. Mickey Mousania.

 

[TheLittleLady]

All of my life, when asked, I say “I am a US Citizen”. “American” is more something from songs or prose.

 

[twf]

I feel that’s an Ontario thing, not Canada wide… but I could be wrong. I don’t hear it in myself and Americans never seem to realize I’m Canadian when I’m in the US.

 

[twf]

That’s interesting. I would say British Columbian first and Canadian second… but I don’t presume that’s true for most British Columbians. It may be partly due to my annoyance with Americans and other non-Canadians equating Canada with Toronto. “Vancouver, that’s near Toronto then?” Yes I was asked that in Minnesota once.

I should have replied “yes, just like Seattle is a suburb of New York.”

 

[Aquinas11]

That’s interesting. I would say British Columbian first and Canadian second… but I don’t presume that’s true for most British Columbians. It may be partly due to my annoyance with Americans and other non-Canadians equating Canada with Toronto. “Vancouver, that’s near Toronto then?” Yes I was asked that in Minnesota once.

Wait I thought British Columbian was English guy who moved from South America to Canada? I wondered why so many up there.

 

[babochka]

That’s interesting. I would say British Columbian first and Canadian second… but I don’t presume that’s true for most British Columbians. It may be partly due to my annoyance with Americans and other non-Canadians equating Canada with Toronto. “Vancouver, that’s near Toronto then?” Yes I was asked that in Minnesota once.

I should have replied “yes, just like Seattle is a suburb of New York.”

I’m on the West Coast. I think British Columbia first. Nect, I think Saskatchewan, because it is one of the most awesome words ever. Then Prince Edward Island. Toronto is way down the llist. Although I do admit that my stereotype of BC is entirely Victoria Island.

 

[OraLabora]

That’s interesting. I would say British Columbian first and Canadian second… but I don’t presume that’s true for most British Columbians. It may be partly due to my annoyance with Americans and other non-Canadians equating Canada with Toronto. “Vancouver, that’s near Toronto then?” Yes I was asked that in Minnesota once.

I would also say that my proclaiming myself Canadian first is also a political gesture as a rebuke of ethnic nationalism. Besides learning French at my mother’s knee, I went to French elementary school in Québec, a bilingual high school in Ontario where I took classes in both languages and took French for native French speakers and English for native English speakers. To add further spice to the soup, I graduated from an English-language university in Québec (McGill University).

And as a pilot, used both languages on the radio (French is legal in the air in Québec).

 

[adgloriam]

babochka:

This is actually a serious question, as I’ve heard more than once that Canadians are somewhat annoyed by this and go out of their way to avoid giving people that impression. As a teenager, I visited Europe and noticed a number of Canadians wearing Canadian flags pins.

How do you know that these Canadians are really Canadians?

I’ve heard of people from the USA who pretend to be Canadians in order to avoid anti-USA sentiments from those they meet.

That sentiment you refer has many origins through history, communist political influences did exist during decades. (Don’t forget you guys historically also had a different purchasing power compared to most Europeans.)

Nowadays, I’d say US citizens tend to stand out in the crowd - there’s both a familiarity (because of TV) and a strangeness because most Europeans don’t get much contact with US citizens.

You folks also have a very different lifestyle and way of interacting.

(I sometimes see youtubers saying they had nightmare experiences in Europe but I don’t take that at face value. They either weren’t geared to finding their way around, or had those exceptional cases of “Murphy’s law”.)

–Ohh, and most of the things you’re bound to complain about happen to Europeans traveling within the EU, it’s just a difference in degree.

 

[babochka]

I’ve been doing some research into the term estadounidense. It’s first recorded use was in 1928 and it was largely confined to academic circles until the 1960s. The treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo uses Americano to refer to the U. S., as do multiple Mexican government documents going forward.

Languages change and new words are coined to deal with new sensibilities and situations. Apparently, the people in Mexico had a need for a new word to differentiate us from the rest of the inhabitants of the American continents. Maybe we will acquire a new word in English someday. As this thread shows, it is a contentious topic.